8th Sunday in Ordinary Time – October 10, to0to1 – Mark 10: 17-30 – Fr. Chris Heller  

Sometimes I wish I could have been “the fly on the wall” for some big historic events. What I’m saying is I wish I could have been present for certain decisions and actions.eg,   I’d loved to have heard when good Pope John XXIII decided to have a Vatican Council;                and I would have loved to hear the presentations on how all Christians are united through our baptism into Christ Jesus; and that the entire Jewish people were NOT responsible for the death of Jesus on the cross: all those contributed to broadening the church’s vision that, in some ways, had been frozen for the previous 500 years.

Being a “fly on the wall” is what you and I have the privilege of being in most Sunday gospels: WE ARE THERE! As in today’s Gospel, as Jesus speaks to the rich young man and his disciples. you and I are ALSO being catechized. We ARE, IF we have ears to hear, and if we don’t keep saying, “I can’t believe what Jesus is saying.” Like at the end of Part I of today’s Gospel, when St. Mark says, the young one went away sad, because he had many possessions,” we’d HAVE to hear Part II to get to Jesus’ deeper meaning. For it’s NOT that we simply OWN our possessions; it’s our possessions CAN and in some cases DO own US!

And there are some classic examples: like the man who owned a shiny new sports car.                 On face value, it’s NOT a sin to own such a really nice car. It’s what owning the car                  can do to us, like skipping Mass on weekends to wash and wax it; OR consistently coming late to family events because the car needed attention; OR going on a big tirade when he discovers the first scratch on the car, comparing the scratch to a human life being taken. In short, it’s the OBSESSIVE feelings that can accompany such ownership that’s trouble!

And just to keep things balanced, there MUST have been a time when a woman was possessed by her possessions. One might think of Imelda Marcos, the former first lady to the dictator of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos, and her collection of 3,000 pairs of shoes! Those shoes were marks of prestige, power and wealth for Imelda, at home and while travelling. But as the Marcos family moved out of power, tears were shed loudly about the HUNDREDS of boxes of clothing and possessions, including LOTS OF SHOES, that had been damaged or destroyed by termites, storms and neglect.

Well, while it’s easy to point the finger at other people, I can tell you that I struggle with this gospel because I’ve discovered I am a hoarder. I’ve moved 9 times for my ministry assignments, and every time I move I have more and more “stuff” to move!           I can imagine, for instance, that when I go to sleep at night, hundreds of books on my shelves have long discussions about what they’re going to do about Chris Heller’s obsession with BOOKS. And I’m SURE I overheard the books in my sitting room describing a revolt that’s going to occur: a revolt because I keep buying books and SQUSIHING them, read or unread, onto shelves with no room!                                                   

Now, I know in my HEAD that having all these books doesn’t get or guarantee me salvation; I know from my training that I can’t purchase or obtain salvation all by my addicted self. Salvation is Jesus’ offer to take us homeward to God, but ALSO that we can START to LIVE that kingdom of God freedom here and now, and not wait for after this life to do so.           

At one time, I imagined that this Gospel did not apply to me: today, I know better,                  and that anything that interferes or robs my ability to serve God with a free heart is suspect! And it’s never a bad time to look at our lives with a clear head and heart, to reaffirm once again, with my head and heart in union, that Jesus Christ IS Lord. 

September 5, 2021 – Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time – “B”-Cycle – Mark 7: 31-37

As many of you know, on some Sundays during the season of Lent, I like to preach what the church calls “guided meditations.” These were popularized by St Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order. On those “guided meditation Sundays,” instead of telling stories and providing examples of putting the Gospel into practice, I would proclaim the Gospel, and then invite us to place ourselves into the midst of the Gospel scene with Jesus. It seems to me that today’s Gospel provides us with an excellent opportunity grow closer to Jesus, by seeing and experiencing his earthly ministry on a very personal level.             

So, as we begin, I’ll invite you to clear your laps of anything you’re holding; if you can place your hands flat on your knees, and sit up straight with your feet on ground if you can. It would also be a help if you can close your eyes; that will cut down on the number of distractions for you. Together, we can take a deep breath IN, and slowly let our breath out, smoothly and easily.    We’ll do that a few more times: breathe fully IN, breathe slowly out.

So, we place ourselves in the Gospel. We’re not alone: our friends brought us to see Jesus; our friends KNOW that we’re struggling with something or someone in our lives: every one of us is! As we get up close to where Jesus is standing, He invites you to tell him in your own words what’s wrong: what you are suffering with, and what or who is challenging your peace. In your heart, tell Jesus now [p]. 

After you are done speaking, Jesus surprises you. He thanks your friends for bringing you to Him for the healing and help you need: imagine how GOOD we would all feel to be  thanked personally by Jesus for offering care and support to someone else. Take a moment now: tell Jesus in your heart the names of friends and/or family members for whom you are grateful. [p]            

Then, Jesus invites you to take a walk alone with him, away from the crowds, and away from the friends that brought you to him. For a minute, you can’t believe you are getting 1-on-1 time alone with Jesus, and experiencing his great love for us!  Take a moment: tell Jesus how grateful you are to have this “alone time” with Jesus: to listen to and learn from him[p]

Jesus prays quietly with you for a moment: He looks to God in heaven and says one single word: ”Ephaphata!”, which means “be opened!” It’s a word from the language Jesus himself spoke on earth, called Aramaic. After Jesus says this word loudly, a healing takes place inside you. It’s truly a miracle!  You have NOT felt THIS good for many months or years: you are glad! Tell Jesus how you feel, now that He is personally healing you. [p]

When Jesus takes you back to where the friends who brought you to Him are standing, they all see the differences in you! They can see that because of Jesus’ healing, the stress, anxiety, and tensions have faded from your eyes. What a blessing it is for your friends to see that you are well, and healthier, because of Jesus! And when you start to tell them about the experience of Jesus healing and helping you, they are SO happy for you. THEY thank Jesus for healing you, even as Jesus tells them that they are ALL blessings, for bringing you to him.  Tell Jesus WHO ELSE you want to tell about this wonderful miracle He has provided for you. [p] 

As we come to the end of our meditation, Jesus is getting ready to move on to the next town, where there will be other people who are hurting and who need help. As Jesus moves on, we feel the floor beneath our feet here in church. If we’d closed our eyes, we open them slowly. We regain our awareness of being connected to, and surrounded by, all the baptized people who are here in church with us today. You are grateful to be a member of the parish, surrounded with faith-filled people: you believe you will remember this day for a good long time: the day when Jesus came to plant his healing love in your heart personally.

The Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – August 8, 2021 – John 6: 41-51                                                                                                             

When I was growing up in the 1950s, I was chosen to be the list-maker to prepare to go shopping at the local supermarket. I can’t tell you EXACTLY when I became aware of the connection between my dad going to work, and our ability to put things into the shopping cart, pay for them, and take them all home. But at a certain point, perhaps when I saw mom or dad hand the cashier payment for our groceries, I began to understand. And later, when we sat down for dinner, and we said grace before our meal, I began to understand that we kids were being loved and fed by our mom, who was a homemaker, and our dad, who was our primary family bread winner.

As I grew older, my appreciation for my parents continued to expand. It became obvious to my sister Meg, my brother Michael and to me, that in addition to feeding us wholesome food, they ALSO fed us in so many different ways. For instance, they ran a constant taxi service to our events, sometimes at three different schools; when changing grades and school buildings, they helped us transition from one school to the next. They also gave us TLC when we were sick: I’ll never forget the amazing Vicks Vapo Rub Pneumonia Removal Tent they engineered in my room for 10 days, when I suffered during a winter with bronchial pneumonia. My parents read to us; they encouraged us to try new things, and not to be afraid. They also functioned as our family’s own Ministry of Consolation for us when our school sports team got defeated.  Eventually, we saw that my parents were feeding us not only at meal time, but around the clock!

I suggest to you that the origin of that 24/7 loving care is found in today’s Gospel about Jesus Christ, who identifies himself as the Bread of Life. And for those of us who listen to these words 20 centuries after Jesus repeated this phrase about himself. It’s good to see how filled with meaning they are. First and most especially, when Jesus applies the words I AM to Himself in “I am the Bread of Life,” Jesus is CLEARLY linking Himself to the One True God, who made his divine presence known to Moses. Moses, you will recall, wanted to tell the people of Israel God’s Name, so Moses asked God what His name was. God said, “Tell the people, I AM WHO AM sent you!” Jesus is not ONLY talking about the sacrament of the Eucharist or Holy Communion here: it’s much more inclusive.  

Rather, Jesus says that He, his whole way of life, his teachings, his attitudes, and all his relationships with God our Creator and with God’s Holy People are ALL Christ’s attempts NOT ONLY TO INFORM US, but to FEED us. In fact, the Gospel tells us a lot about Jesus Christ as real food and nourishment for our daily living. And when we deepen our love for Christ Jesus, he heals our lives in many ways.  1example: earlier in St. John’s Gospel, an inquiring disciple named Nicodemus starting spending time listening to Jesus. But at the start of this relationship, Nicodemus doesn’t yet know that BEYOND the ordinary and natural order in life, Jesus came to invite us into a supernatural order, one that connects earth with heaven. When Jesus says that we must all be born again by water and the Holy Spirit to be saved, Nicodemus asks Jesus whether a person needs to go back into his mother’s womb and be born again. Jesus, patient as always, tells Nicodemus that he’s talking about a DIFFERENT kind of birth, not another human birth. There’s a lot to learn in every single Gospel passage for us!

And that Gospel selection is an excellent reminder that Jesus is NOT just saving our souls by calling us his own: Jesus came to love and redeem every single dimension of our lives, just as my own parents worried about our physical, emotional, spiritual, social, educational, and every other level.  Now, of course, as members of the Body of Christ who are linked to Jesus forever, we are called to believe in Jesus Christ’s true presence in the consecrated communion we receive at Mass: to receive the Holy Eucharist takes us right to God’s Heights, and also to Christ’s eternal and holy depths.

Finally, according to the Second Vatican Council, we also recognize Jesus’ presence here at Mass in several ways: in God’s Holy Word; in you, the assembled and Holy People of God; in the priest who presides over the Eucharist, and in the other six sacraments.  Let us look forward to tasting and seeing the Lord’s goodness with EVERY sense God has given us. Let us be filled to the brim with Christ’s true presence all week long, and back here at Mass next weekend.    Love, Father Chris Heller

Matthew 6: 1-6 – the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – July 4, 2021                                           
A Happy Independence Day to One and All!

In the history of our lives, we know that today is NOT the first time we are hearing about Jesus being PREVENTED from performing miracles among some people. We grew up with the Tridentine Latin Mass that had a final Gospel from the left side of the altar (from the perspective of the congregation), while the priest’s back was to us: he was reading the Prologue of John’s Gospel, John 1: 1-14. It was there that John told us: Jesus was in the world, and the Word of God came into being through Him, but the world did not know him. Jesus came to his own town, and his own people would not accept Him. Why?

People from Jesus’ hometown knew a LOT about what Jesus did as a carpenter: creating and fixing table and chairs for home living. Some of those hometown people probably ate and drank with Jesus’ extended family. But one consequence of being SO comfortable in describing WHAT Jesus did for a living was that they narrowed Jesus, essentially putting Jesus in a box. And when what Jesus said or did did not fit into their pre-conceived picture of Him, they rejected Jesus, because those people KNEW a LOT of things ABOUT Jesus, but they had NO faith relation with him. We should know that in the twenty-first century, there are college professors and instructors who teach classes of young people about world religions,  while at the same time declaring that they themselves are atheists, agnostics or of no particular religious connection. These are people who are getting paid good money to know ABOUT those religions, without any interest in knowing the God who is at the center of any and all of those religions!

Let’s use another example: It’s a familiar description that’s also found in St. John’s Gospel;                                                      it’s the story of the Vine & the Branches. We REMEMBER that Jesus said that in order for us              to continue to be fruitful according to the plan of God, we have to REMAIN connected to the VINE!  But being connected to the Vine necessarily involves us being in a relationship with God: the Father Son and Holy Spirit. One reason Jesus’ own townspeople rejected Him was because He described his personal relationship with God VERY clearly, and they found Jesus’ explanation OUTRAGEOUS. You can almost hear them gossiping on the street corner: “Who does that Jesus think he is, anyway: as if the carpenter could know God that well. He called God his abba, his papa, his father, his dad. No way.” And those same people were gossiping about Him at the SAME TIME that Jesus was LIVING his intimate relationship with God every single day! 

So, the lack of the townspeople’s faith in effect SHUTS DOWN Jesus’ capacity to heal them. Yes: we may not have thought about it before, but peoples’ lack of faith TIES God’s hands. Let’s be honest: there are people across these United States who have turned away from Jesus over these last few years, and instead they have placed all their faith in one or another political system, party, or person. Did they forget how the words of Psalm 146 CLEARLY warn us: “trust not in rulers of earth,” for they will inevitably fail us. If we want a relationship that’s going to LAST, Jesus tells us to start with HIM! Did he not say that he is both the Good Shepherd who will lead us to the Father, as well as the gateway to eternity? Yes, he did!  

Finally, there’s a revealing portrait by a nineteenth and twentieth century English painter named William Holman Hunt. This portrait is entitled Christ at Hearts’ Door. In it, the Lord Jesus is pictured knocking at a door that has no handle or latch.  This symbolizes that only the person inside the house can open the door, to receive Christ’s grace, mercy and love. Jesus will never let Himself in, or force his entry. We were graced by God with free will, and Jesus honors that free will gift from the Father. So, it will be only those who believe in Christ’s power to conquer sin and death that open their hearts to Him. Let us pray that WE will be wise enough to open the door to Lord when He knocks! Fr. Chris Heller

13^th Sunday in Ordinary Time – June 27, 2021 – Mark 5: 21-43, especially focused on verses 25-34, the centerpiece of the Gospel, which recounts the healing of the woman whose severe bleeding is healed. 

During this Covid-19 pandemic, the priests in the rectory from time to time enjoyed a few types of pizza. I was intrigued with the message on one of the pizza boxes: it said “You’ve tried the rest, NOW try the best!” We three priests then said, “We’ll be the judge of that!” And to tell the truth, most of them were very, very good!                               At the same time, that same motto, “You’ve tried the rest, now tried the best!” ALSO belongs to the woman, whose healing is directly in the center of the Gospel. For she had tried THE REST: many doctors, who could not provide her with the relief she needed. The result was that this woman was treated like a leper in her community: an untouchable; someone who could not go to temple. She was considered unclean, and therefore could not share the company of family, friends, and neighbors. 

But LOOK at what that woman’s faith meant in the BIG picture of Jesus Christ saving the world. She didn’t need OR ask for Jesus to pray over her, or touch her, or do anything spectacular, like Jesus raising his friend Lazarus from death. Because of this woman’s faith, Jesus did a few things, as divine power went OUT from Him, like an electrical current into this woman. Jesus stopped her hemorrhaging, and relieved her physical, emotional, spiritual & social suffering. Jesus awakened her to new reality: she could resume relationships without fear or shame. Even more: Jesus offered this woman a FOREVER relationship, one that contained a bond of freedom, one that was free of fear. 

In case you haven’t guessed already, this woman represents EVERY man, woman, and child: for we are ALL wounded people, be it physical, emotional, visible, invisible or in every other way. And to this woman AND to US Jesus says: you are precious to me; you are mine; you are my sibling. With Jesus’ assurance, let us be as strong as possible in our faith. People in our midst, perhaps even ourselves, have already tried the rest; now we are called to turn to only the best. And if we are not accustomed to doing going to Jesus, let us all allow Jesus to direct our hearts by spending time with Jesus each day and each week in personal prayer, as we put our faith in Jesus Christ: only in Jesus; forever in Jesus, the One who our Savior for all seasons. 

12^th Sunday in Ordinary Time. – June 20, 2021 –  Mark 4: 35-41 – Msgr. Chris Heller - Homily

Intro: at the start of today’s Gospel, Jesus instructs his disciples in these words: Let us cross to the other side. The other side of what? The other side of the Sea of Galilee, which itself possessed a WIND TUNNEL , and was 4.0-7.5 MILES WIDE. They were ALSO crossing over into what was then PAGAN TERRITORY, reminding us Jesus came to save every single person.         It was THERE Jesus performs a miracle, one which helps the disciples, & also encourages you and me to KEEP placing faith in Jesus. If we have ever in any way lost faith or confidence in God’s power to save us, be it related to the pandemic or now, let us ask for God’s mercy.     

Before we reflect together on the Gospel, I want to state something of a personal nature:  I LOVE this Gospel every time it is scheduled for our cycle of readings. The reason is simple:  I very much enjoy 15-20 minute a day power naps. And to hear that Jesus was taking a nap,  in the stern of a boat, in the middle of the afternoon, provides me some great support.  And so, without apologies, I can imitate my master Jesus in this and in so many other ways, all the while knowing that those power naps I take DO restore me and others to greater vitality. 

Now: the heart of the Gospel today is both a true miracle, AND a living/breathing metaphor. This is a Gospel for each and every person on earth: I hope you will benefit from our reflection.   Today, Jesus uses this metaphor of a boat on the open sea: the sea stands for our lives, which is sometimes calm and easy to navigate; at other times it is not. The rough waters stand for chaos, and whatever scares us, upsets, worries, distracts or paralyzes us. It could be financial insecurity, relationship problems, your health, an unexpected pregnancy, etc.  Let’s all take a moment to identify a personal “rough water event” that resulted in fear of upset for you. [pause]  

The Truth: Jesus setting sail for the other side of the Sea of Galilee opened Pandora’s Box:  in leaving friendly land for a pagan land, Jesus and his disciples expected a rocky and unsympathetic reception. For example, not everyone agreed with Jesus, who asked that people should love Him first, and not their mom, dad, or kin.  So, recall with me a few Gospel gems: when the Disciples say: “Teacher, do you not care we are perishing?” 

1.Jesus NEVER verbally answers them, because he ALSO teaches by actions and not just words. 

2.Jesus sounds disappointed that the Disciples doubted His love for them: He did and does and always will love us! In fact, it’s clear Jesus loves each of us, and does not want ANY of us to suffer. And more: calming the storms is part of Jesus’ job description; you could say that Jesus is THE storm calmer for ALL of us. Jesus also said in St. Matthew’s Gospel that He expects us to ask for whatever we need, whenever we need it. He said it: “ask and you shall receive.”  

But I think in the 21^st century, there are two challenges that are ALWAYS looming in the background: 

1. First, because our society and culture are based NOT on cooperation or interdependence with God and all others, but rather competition and individualism, I think that some people have not invested themselves fully in a faith relationship that trusts Jesus completely. Yes: some of us ARE like the apostles! And the individualist who says “I don’t need anyone else but me,” is missing the holy assistance that only Jesus can provide!  

2. The second challenge concerns the way SOME people think of, and act on, their relationship with Jesus. Some people think THEY are the captain of the ship, and that Jesus is their first mate, as if God sent Jesus to earth to do MY bidding, rather than OUR being servants of Jesus. For example, if you or someone you know has ever tried to bargain with Jesus to get something you really want, such as: “just let me win the lottery and I’ll go to Mass each week, OR “just let me get this new job, and I promise I’ll be kinder to my family and neighbors,” “such bargaining COMPLETELY misunderstands the relationship Jesus wants to have with all of us. 

Perhaps one of the best remedies to heal a flawed or broken relationship with Jesus is to INVITE JESUS IN: i.e. into the middle of your NEXT storm, whatever it is, and whatever is causing it. Ask for the Holy Spirit’s help, and for the courage to surrender this ongoing wrestling match or tug-of-war with Jesus: humbly INVITE into your storm the Son of the God, who IS within you and who works wonders. Ask Jesus to pull you close, to embrace you, and to support you in the challenges of life; and ask in such a way that you know that with Jesus you have all you need. Let Jesus SHOW you how he can save you in this life, and preserve your life for all eternity. Today, may we gather around the Lord’s Eucharistic Table, wiser and more prepared to love Jesus more than ever.  

SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY – May 30, 2021 – Matthew 28: 16-20   

Today, let’s reflect together on an EXPERIENCE of the Blessed Trinity: The Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. So one day, my phone rings, and the ID screen says “unknown caller.” I don’t like it when that happens. The last two times I answered an “unknown caller” call, it was someone trying to sell me a subscription to Newsday, and the other time, it was someone who thought I was living in a three-story house, and was I interested in purchasing siding for it. I debate whether or not I want to answer it, and I’m glad I did. I say “Hi, it’s Chris here,’ and the voice on the other end says, “Hi, Chris, it’s Gabriel…from heaven.” I’m thinking it’s a joke, so I say: “Sure, right, Gabriel from heaven,” and he says, “yes, Chris, it really is: it’s Gabriel, from heaven. And who would YOU like to speak with today, Chris?” I’m still stunned, and say: “Gabriel, you called me!” “Yes, Chris, I know: God said ‘let’s call Chris today! How about starting with God the Father?”

So, I’m on the phone with the Creator of Heaven and Earth. I’m telling God (like he doesn’t know!) how fond I am of a Jesuit poet named Fr. Gerard Manley Hopkins, and God says quickly: “Yes, Chris: the poem is “The World is charged with the grandeur of God,” and you read it regularly.” Yes! I said: “I was thinking about your grandeur, God, after reading a story about a very smart farmer named Uruk, who lived in Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in 5300 BC. Uruk found some fertile land there, but he couldn’t do all the tasks himself. You inspired him, God, to find people to clear the land, and managers, planters, and harvesters all to work with you. Because working together is the key!    

God says: “Yes: all those gifts out there are divine ingenuity at work. Now Chris, let me ask you: would you like to speak with your brother a minute?” “My brother Mike, in Massachusetts? I ask. “No, Chris,” God says patiently, “your older, wiser brother. Let me put him on the line with you.” So then Jesus says, “Chris, how’s it going today?” and I start to tell the 2^nd person of the Blessed Trinity what I was talking about with the 1^st person of the Blessed Trinity, and Jesus laughs out loud:  “Yes Chris, I know: I’ve been listening in on the conversation!” and  then I remembered. Of course: while the Trinity contains three persons, they are all united and one, and that together they constitute the very heart of God’s divine love.   

Jesus reminds me that I’ve been thinking a whole lot about the division and unrest in America.             But, Jesus says, there were times in recent history when people DID cooperate with my Father’s will:  Chris: remember when communism fell in Poland, and  when the wall came down in Germany,  and  remember when Irish people could finally walk each other’s streets everywhere, without winding up dead? Those things ONLY happened when people were working and praying and LISTENING to one another. But that’s not happening everywhere in America: people assume they know each other’s story and they really don’t. And then Jesus adds: I KNOW what it’s like to be rejected, because that happened to me all the time on earth:                                   people who didn’t even KNOW me wrote me off because they thought they really knew me.             
And until real listening happens, the bonds of trust can’t begin to grow. So tell the people, Chris: tell them to please listen: listen to my Father’s voice in their hearts, and let Our Father lead them to a new freedom for all.” I promise Jesus that I would pass along his directive and message, so today, this is EVERYONE’S official notice!

Then, Jesus asks if I’d like to speak with the Holy Spirit. I said, “of course.” The Holy Spirit gets on, and makes a great suggestion: “Chris, how about today I talk and you listen: is that all right?” All right? The Holy Spirit offers me undivided attention and is it all right? O yes, it’s just fine. So God’s Spirit says to me: “Chris, you’ve had an exhausting week this past week: I know you did. You really DO worry about things, and that worrying goes way back to a time when you were very young. But now, you sometimes waste time trying to figure out solutions for things beyond your reach, and things you can’t control! So, you know what I’m going to say next: it’s from that movie called Frozen: you’ve heard dozens of times, and I heard you sing part of it in church one. Chris, LET things GO: let us, the Blessed Trinity, handle things. Remember Pope St. John XXIII’s night prayer “God, I’m going to sleep: it’s your church: I know you’ll take care of things overnight. Good night.”

What an excellent and affirming reminder from the Holy Spirit: to LET God BE our one TRUE and only God all the time: let God lead us, and challenge us, protect us, and grow us in all these different ways. I tell you: such conversations are possible for us IF we listen. And yes:  let’s ALL try to live the Trinity’s love, for one another, and for us.

Pentecost Sunday Msgr. Chris Heller – Sunday, May 23, 2021- John 15:26-27; 16:12-15               

Happy Birthday, Church of God! One of the most beloved hymns I learned during my preparation for ministry had a beautiful melody set to a profound text. It was this: “Abba! Abba Father: you are the potter; we are the clay, the work of your hands.” This quote from Isaiah in Hebrew Scriptures puts us in the right order, just as Jesus in John’s Gospel tells us He’s the vine and we’re the branches. In both cases, God and Christ Jesus are CONFIRMING the divine work that’s going to happen in us.           

To be the clay in God’s hands has several dimensions to it: First, you and I have the mark of the Creator emblazoned on our body, mind, heart and souls: we are adopted sons and daughters of our loving God. But also, and just as important, this impact of God is not a static, once-and-for-all-time influence on us. Because we are called to be malleable like clay in the hands of God the Potter, God can choose 2reshape or refashion US into the person we need to become FOR GOD’S PURPOSES. After all, we are clay: we ARE the creative expression of a VERY creative God, who sees and knows very well how the whole world works.

And while we are being re-shaped according to the plan of a loving and faithful God, another word comes into use, and it’s related to the word CONFIRM, but different.  The Word is CONFORMED: God shapes us at baptism with the Holy Spirit’s excellent gifts. It’s a wonderful beginning into which God invites us: a faith family of eternal life.  But at OUR Confirmations, and at our sister Carolyn’s Confirmation today, we will pray that the Holy Spirit’s anointing would CONFORM Carolyn more fully to Christ Jesus, the Son of God.

I know…I know….some people consider the word CONFORM 2B an unpopular word or a bad word; that  it somehow denigrates the uniqueness of a person, or puts them in a box, like commercially-produced cookies that are identical in each box! That is RIDICULOUS! St. Paul, in his First Letter to the Corinthians, says that each of us is UNIQUELY shaped by the potter, according to Christ: EACH of us has been called to re-shape our thoughts, words, actions, and habits to be more like our Shepherd Jesus.  And yes, EACH of us has been called to serve the Lord and his people, so what does the Holy Spirit do for us?

Let me suggest two ways the Holy Spirit can energize us to overcome our previous limitations in life: the first begins before the feast of Pentecost. Mary and Christ’s disciples were afraid, LOCKED in the upper room. Why? They TRULY feared those who tortured and killed the Savior would torture and kill them as loyalists.  But when the Holy Spirit came, becoming CONFORMED to Christ meant surrendering their fears, letting go of their immobility and paralysis, and resuming their Christ-Mission: to spread to the ends of the earth the Good News of God’s kingdom and reign.   

Second, becoming CONFORMED to Christ means serving beyond our family and friends and what’s familiar. You all remember the Good Samaritan story in St. Luke. A Jewish man has been beat up, and left for dead on the side of the road; a Jewish priest and a lawyer see him, and both keep going. But a Samaritan, a man from an ethno-religious group that Jewish people HATED, takes the Jewish man left for dead to an innkeeper, and pays him to take care of the man. The Good Samaritan also promised to reimburse the innkeeper any other expenses incurred. See what Jesus did? He taught us to go beyond the borders of family and kin, to correspond to the Scriptural call given us as Christians: “go out to all the world, and tell the good news.”                                                                                                                                                

On this Happy Birthday of the Church, we certainly need a Holy Spirit B-12 shot of invigoration and rejuvenation. Let us be the ready and receptive CLAY of God our Abba’s love, and not miss a single opportunity to be stretched and shaped by the One who said to God, “thy will be done.”

The Fourth Sunday of Easter – Cycle “B” for our Readings -  Gospel: John 10: 11-18                                                                                      

This Good Shepherd Sunday is being celebrated in millions of Christian congregations worldwide today, because many Christian denominations use the same lectionary that we do: they use the same Scripture texts, often with different translations. In listening to this Gospel, we learn many reasons why Jesus became SO beloved as the Good Shepherd. We would do well to figure out WHICH Good Shepherd qualities MOST appeal to us, and WHY they appeal to us. This will come in handy for those prepared to move from thinking holy thoughts to taking holy action. 

In the mystery of God’s loving plan, we never know where the next great example of a Good Shepherd, that is, someone who is following Jesus, our One and Only Good Shepherd, will appear: some grandparents/relatives are acting on behalf of the Good Shepherd as they are raising the children of other family members, some of who are suffering with drug and alcohol addictions. Other people are stepping up as shepherds by self-sacrificing their skills and to take care of people who are COVID sufferers, or those who are covering shifts for those who’ve fallen ill themselves. Still others have donated frequent flyer miles, to help get sick people around the US to doctors and specialists; in that case, the Good Shepherd has provided them wings to fly, and a chance to grow healthier. And still others are shepherds because they are present and faithful, loyal and protective of others, making sure that old and young alike are being fed nourishing food to keep body and soul together. These are promise-keepers who, as leaders, have pledged to keep their flock safe. Now, imagine if a whole town or whole community stepped up into appropriate leadership roles, laying down their lives like Christ, to help the rest of the flock become more stable and secure. 

Well, in our lifetime, a book and a musical production entitled “Come from Away” captures the true story of what happened following the Sept 11, 2001 attacks in NY, DC and Pennsylvania. Planes were diverted from JFK and other NY area airports, and 38 planes were ordered to land unexpectedly in the Canadian town of Gander, in the province of Newfoundland. This initiative became known as Operation Yellow Ribbon. As the story unfolds, it details how the people of this little town housed and fed the 7,000 stranded travelers. And it serves to remind ALL of us of our capacity for human kindness, even in the darkest of times. It also reminds us, as Christian listeners to this true story that contains some fine Beatitude-themed episodes, that with Christ Jesus, risen from death to new life, we as the flock of God DO triumph over the hatred, which is cultivated by people who prefer the darkness to Christ’s eternal Light. 

We do well to remember that Jesus WAS once the stone the builders rejected; now HE is our cornerstone. Although his Cross identified him as King o d Jews, Jesus was nonetheless rejected by chief priests, elders and scribes of Judaism;  yet 2000 years later, we are here as signs that Jesus’ message has borne good fruit in us. Yes: Jesus was rejected: and if you have ever been rejected for a team, a job promotion, or new position, or rejected by a person or group, know that Jesus UNDERSTANDS what you’re feeling because He has BEEN THERE already. Let us open the windows of our heart, mind and soul to Jesus, so that as we follow HIS example, he will help us to get thru our struggles. AND if we listen well, Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd will show us a DIFFERENT way to use and share our skills. So, let us ask ourselves once again this afternoon: which qualities of the Good Shepherd do you both admire, and want to include in YOUR Christian response to God, others, and yourself. 

Let the risen Christ show us how to best put our shepherding skills to work, so that we learn to rise above any self-centeredness that confines and limits us, opening us instead to the ongoing love which draws us closer to the heart and mind of Jesus. Be not afraid, my Shepherd brothers and sisters: Jesus goes before us always. Let us follow him, so that we might have his wisdom, mind, and heart. And just as Jesus always provided for the needs of his flock, may today’s Eucharistic feast bring healing and strength to us all. 

3 Easter B – Third Sunday of Easter – Cycle “B” - Acts 3:13-15, 17-19; Psalm 4:to, 4, 7-8, 9; 1 John to:1-5a; Lk to4:35-48                                

Did you know that everyone of us is called to be witnessing to Jesus regularly in our daily lives? Many years ago, I was driving on Main Street in Sayville, near where I lived at the time.                                And while stopped at a traffic light, I remember looking in the rear-view mirror to see cars behind me, about 10 of them. And just before the light was about to turn from red to green, the person behind me ran into the back of my Chevy Chevette! I was shocked at the jolt!                       I pulled my car over to the side of the road, as did the driver who’d hit me, & both of us took a look. To tell the truth, there were just a couple of dented spots on my car: I was more shaken up was all.  But a third car pulled over to the side of the road with us, and a man stepped out with a piece of paper. He said, “I was right behind the man who hit you, & I saw the whole thing, if you need a witness.” This stranger, whose name was Sidney, wanted to support me in the truth of what’d just happened. And I was grateful for that support: he’d been there, he’d seen it happen, and he would witness to the truth. I’m so glad I took his name, address, and phone number, and included it in the police report drawn up later that day. It came in handy when the man who actually HIT me began to tell a story QUITE different from the one that ACTUALLY happened!              

Our Scriptures today are FILLED with witnesses, who testify to what God is doing in them & through others. Peter is doing some pretty serious witnessing in the 1^st Reading from Acts, the second part of St. Luke’s work. And yet, we know that Peter was not always a stable or reliable witness on behalf of Jesus’ mission work: in fact, Peter denied Jesus THREE times not long before Jesus died, and Jesus had PREDICTED it. Peter ALSO struggled with fears & doubt. So when Peter says that there’s forgiveness available for all those who’ve sinned, he’s ALSO talking about himself! So what happened? Who empowered Peter to surrender his fears and doubts, to become a true witness?            We know the answer is God: The Father, Jesus the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, and it happened with some very specific & deliberate steps. The same is true when I speak with YOU about the wonders of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and God’s love. With LOTS of others, I stood on Fr. Henry’s line on Monday of Holy Week & received God’s liberating forgiveness in the sacrament. 

Peter knew what we now know: when you betray someone, you need to apologize to that person.                     The Gospel says Peter cried after his denials: he knew RIGHT away what he’d done to Jesus and to himself.  But the Risen Christ Jesus appears to many disciples, such as Mary Magdalene, as well as Peter, with good news: Christ is NOT dead, but alive; and NOT alive like Lazarus, who was just resuscitated from death. The difference is that Jesus Christ will live forever! It’s a great lesson for me, and hopefully one for all of us: the Risen Jesus Christ did NOT hold grudges about those who betrayed him, or ran away from him when He was arrested, all before He died on the cross.               In fact, the Risen Jesus gave Peter the opportunity to repent of his denials, so Peter could move forward and serve. Do you remember that great section of St. John’s Gospel, when Jesus asks Peter three times: “Simon, do you love me?” Remember what Peter said? Peter said three times to the Lord: I love you; I DO love you; you know everything, you KNOW that I love U. Peter was given 3 chances to confess his love for Jesus AND receive the Lord’s forgiveness. For Peter’s 3 denials, Peter is able to make 3 confessions of apology and sorrow, to receive the Risen Lord’s healing.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus invites his apostles, his disciples and all of us to be witnesses to specific events: to His life, death and resurrection. These are some of the foundational events of our faith life. And yet, every one of us can say: “But I wasn’t there for the original events in Jesus’ life: how can I be a witness?” And the answer is simple AND challenging: because Jesus sent the Holy Spirit upon Mary and the apostles, and they became witnesses in Christ’s name, so can we: we who have been confirmed have received the gifts of the One and Only Holy Spirit.               

So what does a Christian look like in the 21^st century, and what does a Christian do all day and week long? For one 1 thing, Peter had his Christ eyes opened, challenging him to bring shalom, not violence or revenge. Remember during the Passion of Christ, Peter was also the one who cut off a man named Malchus’ EAR, in trying to prevent Jesus from being arrested. We could put that peace-making into practice in our family and wider community life by relying on Christ’s loving mercy. There’s a LOT of verbal violence that bubbles up in the world today, from frustration and impatience: why not take some of the mercy that Jesus gives you and me in the Holy Eucharist & spread it around? Why not dedicate this week to sowing the seeds of peace where the weeds of anger and frustration are growing?  

And if you think that YOU are a hopeless case, that YOU could NEVER be a WITNESS to Jesus Christ and HIS saving work in the world, you need only remember St. Jude: remember him? He’s the patron of Hopeless Cases. And if there EVER seemed to be a truly hopeless case, it was a man named Saul, who LOVED killing Christians, whom SAUL believed were betraying the one true God revealed by Abraham & Moses. It took God knocking Saul off his horse & blinding him, AND THEN OPENING Saul’s eyes and setting him straight. Then, after Saul’s conversion, his name was changed to Paul, d Apostle to the Gentiles. And THEN, Paul couldn’t love Jesus enough because Jesus had planted divine enthusiasm in him: how about you? Do YOU love Jesus with divine joy, so much so that it bubbles over into your daily life & conversations? That’s how witnessing happens, in deed and in word. In the week to come, let God’s will be done. Alleluia! 

Second Sunday of Lent – Cycle “B” – February 21, 2021: Genesis 9:8-15, Psalm 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 1 Peter 3:18-22, Mark 1:12-15                                                                                                                                                                                             Introduction: in the First Reading, God made a covenant with Noah, with a promise not to destroy us with a flood. God is faithful: God extends divine power and protection for us, and that power and protection continues in the person of Jesus, our Shepherd and Savior. Let us ask for the forgiveness we need at this moment on our Lenten journey.

There are lots of people who are pretenders, con artists, dishonest folks: and some of them even show up on television in our own time. In one such show, a woman presents herself as an advocate and legal guardian, representing the interests of people in health care facilities and nursing homes who cannot voice objections or defend themselves. In shocking, bold and brazen ways, this woman steals from these people, all the while smiling at them: she empties their bank accounts, yes, but she ALSO tricks them into thinking she respects them:  No: she represents the Evil One, Satan: she is completely dishonest and destructive. At the same time, we recall St. Matthew’s account of the Evil One tempting Jesus: the classic temptations concern power, possessions, prestige. All of them tempt Jesus to put himself first, versus putting God the Father first.

And that same Evil One tempts Jesus, as he always tempts us, against making the sacrifices necessary to keep God #1: to truly allow God to be God ALL the Time, by imitating Jesus’ courage in sacrificial giving. When I say ALL the time, I’m recalling for all of us that painful sad fact throughout our religious history. We KNOW the scenario: God offers faithful eternal love, we accept it and follow God’s direction FOR AWHILE: but then we veer off, or our engine goes off the track, or we miss d divine mark. Whichever metaphor we want to use, we fail: we go from faithful monogamy to serial or periodic monogamy, alternating between faithfulness and being unfaithful: just remember Israelites and the golden calf, which becomes the symbol of our unwillingness or our incapacity to obey the Great Commandment (Love God and neighbor completely) for the long haul.  We are blessed to know that WE need Lent, and we need it EVERY year to restore us to living that “all the time” faithfulness.

And there are some unique insights in the very short and original account given in St Mark’s Gospel. First, it says Jesus was driven into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit. It’s an interesting word, isn’t it? The inference is that not EVERYone wants to go into wildernesses, to desolate places with NO one else. When I was growing up, I remember stories of people training to become Eagle Scouts: one of the challenges given them, after some basic training, was that they were each driven – by car- to separate deserted campsites in the woods, miles away from one another. These young men were each expected to take care of themselves OVERNIGHT – just one night: find food like berries, drinkable water or purify their water with special tablets,  find a dry place to sleep: this was certainly an initiation of sorts. So, when Jesus is DRIVEN into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit, it’s understandable: who WANTS to go there? Who wants to be in a place where we have no defenses, no con games to play, to be alone w myself, and myself as the only resource?                    But at the same time, as we know very well, the wilderness offers Jesus and us something else, too: it’s a place of solitude and revelation, and of intimacy with God, the Holy one!  And that is true for us, too: we encounter our Mighty God, even when our minds seem to wander: even as we recognize our own mortality: the reality of sickness, age, arthritis, & past disappointments. And look at what happens while Jesus is STILL in the wilderness: angels minister to Him. Hasn’t that happened 2us as well, at various times in our spiritual journeys? Have we NOT felt divine intervention along the way? For even in our struggles, we are being fortified, strengthened and enriched by the hand of Divine Love.  

And yes, there’s more. The LONG story of the battle in the wilderness is a victory song: like the Israelites’ song in the Book of Exodus: “I will sing to the Lord, who has Won the Victory, horse and chariot He cast into the sea!”  This battle with evil, like the initiation we have undergone in Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist, CONTINUES to work from WITHIN us. And like the anointing of Confirmation that makes us strong inside and out, we end up being more fruitful witnesses to Jesus, whose death and resurrection make us whole. Let us cooperate with the saving grace that gives us the DESIRE to battle against sin and death. We ARE the people of God, chosen to be light for the nations. This Lent, may the light of Jesus Christ shine from deep within us, for us and for others, so that all may come to know Christ better.

4^TH Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle “B” – January 31, 2021 -  Mark 1: 21-28                                                                                                       People who heard Jesus preach and saw him heal the man possessed by an evil spirit were agog! They said Jesus taught with real authority, and that the power of God was evident in him. It raises a basic religious question for myself, and perhaps for others of you with me: “Who’s in charge inside YOU?” Some of  you may recall that parents of another generation would challenge their children’s faulty thinking, especially when it came to following someone blinding, by asking a question such as: “If your friend told you he could fly, and was about to jump off the roof, would you be so dumb as to join him in doing that!?” It’s true: we all need to think like individuals, and also we need to “own up” to the results of decisions we have made in the past. So again, whose power, whose authority, whose word winds up ruling your and my decisions or priorities on an everyday basis?

To be sure: it’s NOT an easy road! Look at where we’ve travelled to and from during these last ten and a half months of COVID-19! Thank God we have the Eucharist to sustain and strengthen us to make better choices. Right after the Our Father at Mass, the priest invites us all to pray these following words to God: “deliver us Lord, we pray, from every evil … grant peace in our days … may we be always free from sin and safe from all distress.”  Yes: Distress: the root cause of so many of our anxieties. That reminds me of a famous statement printed in a church bulletin with a general invitation, which said: “Don’t Let Stress Kill You: Let the Church Help!” Wait: Let the Church Help Kill you? No. Let the church help de-stress you? Yes, I hope for all our sakes it’s the latter!

As Catholic Christians, we’d be wiser to listen to Jesus, and allow him to be in charge in US all the time. Why? Well, for one thing, God sent Jesus into our lives precisely to introduce us to Gods’ power, and show us how God’s power can transform and heal us of the weaknesses we know are inside us. For another, Jesus is a leader with integrity, whose Truth is central to his mission for the Father. It’s Jesus, through God’s Holy Spirit, that gives even quiet and shy people the courage to speak up strongly, whenever someone is being treated unfairly, or being persecuted or picked on.

Not long ago, an elementary school teacher named Adele was on her lunch hour in the teachers’ lounge, quietly reading a book. Several other teachers came in and, without provocation, began to pick on Adele: one criticizing her weight, another her hair and clothing, and another making fun of her quiet nature. As this was unfolding, Adele’s food friend, another teacher named Caroline, came into the lounge and heard some of what was unfolding. She IMMEDIATELY went over and, in defense of her friend Adele, said that if they continued to pick on Adele, they would have to deal with her (Caroline) as well, and that SHE would NOT remain quiet and shy. I suggest to you that the Holy Spirit’s courage rose up in Caroline that day, responding to an injustice (persecution) being done to her friend.

The way someone responds in critical situations like the one above often says something about her or his character. When Jesus was faced with a man with an unclean spirit, there were lots of ways for Jesus to deal w him. Most people I know would say that if a person was yelling and disturbing the people at Mass, their feeling was, “just throw him or her out, and let’s get on with the Mass!” But because Jesus has the power of God in him, He has OTHER ideas and more GODLY solutions to use. By the way, that’s true for us, too: when we’re in union with God’s light, more and other options will open before us.

See what Jesus does: as the demon in the man is yelling, the demon thinks he can dilute Jesus’ power. He thinks he can distract everyone from what Jesus is about to do, which is to act with divine power. Jesus shows that GOD is in charge of this situation by doing two very specific things: 1) Jesus silences and forces the spirit out of the man, who then can STAY (rather than be thrown/forced out), and listen to God’s Word. Jesus reminds us all people – including the  possessed and mentally ill people – that they are precious, made in God’s image and likeness; 2) and Jesus then gives the man some inner peace and direction, so that for the rest of his life, he can believe: he can TRUST that God’s power IS strong, on earth and in heaven. That’s what we pray, isn’t it? God’s power is NOT just for later, when we are called to eternity, but here, now, in our daily lives!

So, what have we heard today? Hopefully, that our union with Jesus our Shepherd can help us              to do what’s needed to make the world, and its people, a better place, and a holy place.                                        But that can ONLY happen if we acknowledge Jesus as being in charge inside of ALL parts and dimensions of us: that would include our words, our actions, our thoughts, our hopes and dreams, even our future plans. Yes: answering the question “Who’s in charge in You?” starts with prayer here at the Eucharist. It STRENGTHENS us like NO OTHER FOOD or EXPERIENCE on earth. And at the end of Mass, Jesus sends us back into the world with our eyes wide open, and hopefully with a heart caring for others. Only Jesus the Christ, the great liberator can do it, and only if each of us is ready and willing to allow Him to shine and reign in us. Are we?                                                                        Fr. Chris

Feast of the Baptism of the Lord – January 10, 2021 – Mark 1: 7-11 – Father Chris Heller 

Years ago, back in the seventeenth century when I was in college, we had a great drama coach. He started one lecture by asking whether we knew why there were curtains on the auditorium stage. One of us said it was to give the stage crew freedom and “cover time” to move equipment around without interference. After a half-dozen more answers, he finally told us that the curtain was there to draw a line between two worlds: the one we came from to get to the play, and the world that would be created on the stage, for that day’s presentation. He then added a comment that’s stayed with me for years: he said the same division of two worlds happens when you and I walk in the door of a church from outside of it: we are entering a different universe! 

So I began to think of this feast of the Baptism of the Lord and the whole Christmas season all together: and because GOD is best drama writer in the universe, telling the greatest story ever told,  we can look at the MAJOR events we’ve celebrated together. And the story God’s revealing to us. And let’s use that image of a curtain opening to reveal a new/different/bigger universe to the world. Christmas is the most familiar: many drama writers would start with the MAJOR message carriers, from the story’s center, and later tell the story of those in the center.  NOT God: insignificant, smelly shepherds 1^st carry word. Why? To show this God’s inviting everyone to share new life w Christ, whose name means God saves  The curtain opens a 2^nd time, as it did last week on the Epiphany, with a new part of the message: now, Jesus will be known by non-Jewish people, too (including us!), as symbolized by the 3 Magi. 

But you and I know that God has more of the story to tell us, so we have today, the Baptism of the Lord. Like the other two feasts, there were people on both sides of the drama curtain that day. i.e., John the Baptist was baptizing hundreds of Jewish people, confessed their sins and repented to God; at the same time, Jesus’ time to take his next BIG step into human history had now arrived. And while Jesus had NO need for repenting sins OR confession, Jesus humbled himself to John, this is his cousin and kinsman John, just the way all the others were humbling themselves too. 

And as Jesus came out of the water, a HUGE transition of roles happened in human history. John’s part was coming to an end: he had done ALL the prep wk necessary 4people to hear Jesus. And this humble Savior is surrounded by the other two members of the Blessed Trinity: the voice of the Father, and the dove of the Holy Spirit. Here, the image makes most sense to me to capture the transition is the stick/baton that is handed off in Olympic relay races. John lets go, and Jesus takes it up, and begins his public ministry of preaching and healing and blessing, and loving. And while John the Baptist was a screamer, yeller and drama king, Jesus comes and simply invites us to join him, and invites you and me to put our gifts to work the way HE does: in humble, faithful, and direct service. That’s why the Church, to this day, teaches that Baptism and Confirmation confer the gifts and charisms of the Holy Spirit; they are the modern day versions of us going into the water and coming out with God’s seal of approval.                    

So, HOW does this feast speak to us in our time? There’s an American saint named John Neumann: a former bishop of Philadelphia, a big supporter of ongoing Catholic education for all, and a leader who wanted us to discover what WE could do to further God’s work on earth today. He said it like this: “God has a plan for each of us.  We are placed in our different varieties of jobs  NOT to get what we can out of them for OURSELVES, but to labor in them for Him.” For Jesus. What can WE do to help Jesus’ work move forward? Who can we help or encourage this week? Who needs an arm to support them? That’s why we are here. So, at last, we see what the curtain reveals: it’s God AND us. AND everyone else. It’s the UNIVERSE Jesus was sent to make holy. As with Jesus, we are NOT to do our OWN wills, but to fulfill the will of the One who sent Jesus to us: so, let our solidarity with Jesus in our words and actions keep us faithful and on track to serve God and one another: it is our calling and our destiny . 

Father Chris Heller

Third Sunday of Advent “B” Cycle – December 13, 2020 - John 1:6-8, 19-28                                                                                              

There’s a prayer that the priest says at every Mass: it’s part of a bridge prayer that links the Our Father as we know it, and the ending of the Our Father as proclaimed by many Christian churches. The text ends: “as we wait in hope, for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.” All year long, we hear this prayer, but during Advent, we’re invited to pay more close attention to its message. Why? Because on this Gaudete (Rejoicing) Sunday, we are now more than halfway toward our goal of celebrating Jesus’ birth at Christmas, and the more attentive we can be to new signs of life around us, the more ready we’ll be to carry the Christmas Good News.   

The key messages in all the Scripture passages this weekend are positive one: hope, joy and thanksgiving, and these virtues are ENCOURAGED even if there’s not a lot of Good News around in the news! That is, we as God’s People are encouraged to use GOD’s strength to spread the Good News, with the zeal of a prophet, and the joy of a missionary being sent to his or her first mission.

There’s NO doubt frayed nerves and worries about the future have darkened some folks’ outlooks, and has even taken away the DESIRE of some to look for joy and hope, in a world that needs a dose of both. But using Pope Francis’ teaching from the Jesuit training he received years ago, I suggest that to see God in all things in this Gospel, we would do well to focus not on ourselves, but on the teacher who is Someone greater. And in that vein, I want to point out two signs of hope for our world going forward that brought me joy and gratitude.

The first one has to do with the number vaccines being developed for the Covid-19 Virus. In my mind, the JOY and GRATITUDE part enters the story because of a MONUMENTAL SHIFT in how the research and development of those vaccines occurred.  As many of you already know, different drug companies invest HUGE amounts of money and time in research and development, always with an eye toward a profit. Usually, it occurs in a secretive, controlled environment, because if a company is first to have treatment or a cure, they will make the lion’s share of money, especially in the very beginning. This time, in response to the worldwide pandemic, drug companies, researchers and universities have engaged in a WIDESPREAD sharing of research and resources, and later test results on patients, because a vaccine for all was a goal that everyone could get on board with. This attitude of sharing among others  is certainly one that Jesus encouraged during the years of His public ministry, and would have approved of.

The second ray of joy and hope came from a franchise store, a Dairy Queen store in Minnesota. One drive-through customer's kind act sparked a two-day pay-it-forward at a Dairy Queen.  Nearly $10,000 worth of food was paid forward for strangers, starting on a Thursday afternoon. The first customer offered to pay for the food of the driver behind them. What started as 1  random act of kindness from one man paying for the car behind him in a Dairy Queen resulted in over 900 cars also taking part in the pay-it-forward chain. Now, the DQ manager said this happens a few times a year, but after 15-20 cars, it fizzles out. But NOT here. This time, the chain continued for 2 ½ days with over 900 cars participating, Then, the manager Ms. Jensen said:

"There's all different types of ways to help people," Jensen offered. "I think this touched people we didn't even know it touched, maybe deeply, and you don't know what's going on in one’s life. When the DQ closed for the night Thursday, one car left $10 to begin the chain back up Friday morning and again on Saturday morning. Jensen provided updates on Facebook.

One customer summed it up: "During times like these it restores your faith in humanity a little," she said. "The way the world is now you see a lot of anger, tension, and selfish behavior. What WE witnessed was pure kindness and it was a breath of fresh air really." But the best part for it for her was going home to tell her family about the DQ event, and how the whole family played a role in the pay-it-forward chain and kept it going.

Seeing how positive her staff became with every passing car paying it forward, married to the reactions of her customers when the cashier told them their meal had been taken care of, was touching, Ms. Jensen said: "No matter what's going on, take care of each other,  be positive, be happy and don't focus on the negative, we'll get through it," she said. That sounds VERY much like the words of the prophet Isaiah today, about good things coming from God. As we continue with the Eucharist, and come joyfully to the Table of the Lord, or come to the Altar of God to make a spiritual communion, we have the privilege of doing so with members of His Body throughout the world. Let us be in union with others God has chosen in Christ. Come Lord! Come, Lord Jesus Christ!

Solemnity of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe -  November 22, 2020 – Matthew 25: 31-46

In the last few years, I’ve started to refer to this feast of Christ the King as “The Talk is Cheap” weekend.  My reason is that EVERYTHING in today’s Gospel, from the choice to be merciful to judgment day, ALL have to do with choosing how to interact with others: not thoughts, promises, plans, or ideas on how to do so.  And since it’s Jesus’ good example that we base our Christian social mercy practice on, let’s recall the vivid action at the Last Supper the night before He died. Jesus did what there? He took off his coat, knelt down before each of his disciples, and washed and dried their feet. And the continuation of that work of mercy still goes on to day, in those who want to go to heaven.

And since the Gospel mentions the General Judgment of all peoples at the end of time, it’s a good time to DEBUNK some of the nonsense about the allegation that it’s the Blessed Trinity condemning people to be the goats, that is, God condemning people to a life without God, and without eternal joy and eternal peace. NO. God CREATED us to share eternal joy, but NOT if we don’t WANT it: if we DON’T want heaven, then we’ll be living an earthly life whose actions show that we think we know better than God does; rejecting heaven would mean the compassion and concern I have is just for me, taking care of myself; saying YES to being a goat would mean that my favorite letter of the alphabet is the letter “I!” Those folks would be very uncomfortable in heaven, so God will give them their hearts’ desire: darkness.

Recently, I had to get my eyes examined. The letters on my computer screen were looking smaller. The ophthalmologist helped me with that: now I have new glasses, and things look larger and clearer. But this Gospel raises for me a question which has occurred to our Christian ancestors before us: do we have Christ’s vision of one another right now?  Are the eyes of Christ given us in Baptism and Confirmation being used for the good of others? To ask it another way: do I HAVE the eyesight and attitude of Jesus when I see others suffer?  And do I realize that ONLY GOD can change a NON-GENEROUS heart into a generous one? 

Remember the parable of the Good Samaritan? It’s FILLED w people who KNEW BETTER. 1^st , the Jewish priest who SAW the man beat up and bloodied on the road, and just kept on going. 2^nd was the Jewish scholar, the one who knew the 10 Commandments best, he did the same thing. 3^rd, the foreign-born Samaritan, whose people were the ENEMIES of the Jewish people, he’s the one who stops and helps, and goes the extra mile. Jesus is breaking down boundaries: we KNOW that’s what he’s saying, because THAT’S what Jesus DOES all the time without fail. 

So let’s SAY it: if someone needed to be fed, Jesus would NOT first ask to see someone’s immigration papers or green card before feeding them.  And if it was YOUR child, your niece or nephew or grandchild who had a life-threatening disease, Jesus would NOT ask whether your relative was in a Red State or Blue State before deciding to heal them: Here’s the summary: Jesus saw the need, knew he could meet it, and went ahead to heal them; and He wants us to do the same in our lives: that’s the Gospel’s takeaway in a nutshell. As Jesus said at the Last Supper: what I do for you, you must now do for others.                                                                And yes: during this difficult pandemic time of our lives, we CAN see people’s hungers and thirsts on MULTIPLE levels: physical, spiritual, social, etc. And we know, this year perhaps more than others: when people are alone and need to be included, even via ZOOM; and when some people’s social distancing has resulted in their feeling depressed, and deprived of human touch. But we’re NOT just DO-GOODERS. When we do these works of mercy, we do them to, and in the name of Jesus Christ the King, Lord of the Universe.

As we proceed here at the Eucharist, moving toward receiving Holy Communion or making a Spiritual Communion, may Christ’s healing presence continue to liberate the gifts and resources that God has planted within us.  Praised be God: and praised be Jesus Christ.